PINCH MY SALT

Did Marshall Alberga date the same woman as Kelly Slater? In this episode of the Pinch My Salt Podcast, professional surfer Sterling Spencer and Cousin Ryan sit down with Florida surf legend Marshall Alberga for one of our wildest surf conversations yet. Marshall tells the story of beating 11-time world champion Kelly Slater in a man-on-man surf contest at Cocoa Beach, the awkward handshake that followed, and why things between Marshall and Kelly may have remained weird for nearly 20 years.

The crew also talks about Kelly Slater’s competitive mindset, East Coast surfing, Florida surf culture, the Sean Slater Invitational, Cocoa Beach surf contests, and what it was like growing up inside the professional surf industry. Then the conversation moves to Hawaii’s North Shore, Pipeline, Jamie O’Brien, surf houses, pro surfer groupies, wild North Shore parties, accidental drug deals, getting shot with a pellet gun, and the unwritten rules of surviving Hawaii as a young surfer.

Before the podcast, Sterling, Ryan, and Marshall take a spontaneous Florida surf trip to chase a powerful East Coast swell. They battle nonstop current, short-period waves, sunburn, exhaustion, long beach walks, and the reality of trying to surf when you are no longer 18 years old.

Marshall also opens up about his history with Sterling Spencer and how their friendship helped Sterling recover after his traumatic brain injury. During Sterling’s recovery in Hawaii, Marshall helped him paddle out, surf again, regain his strength, and rediscover why surfing was supposed to be fun. Their friendship eventually helped inspire the comedy videos and surf content that led to the creation of Pinch My Salt.

This episode dives into the rise and fall of the early-2000s surf industry, surf sponsorships, Billabong, Lost Surfboards, No Fear, NSSA contests, East Coast Surfing Magazine, magazine surfers, professional surfing contracts, trust-fund surfers, social media surfing, YouTube surf careers, Nathan Florence, Jamie O’Brien, and why so many retired professional surfers eventually become real estate agents.

The guys discuss the pressure young surfers faced when brands promised they could become the next Kelly Slater. Surf companies sponsored hundreds of kids, placed stickers on their boards, dangled the dream of becoming a professional surfer, and often moved on when the next younger athlete arrived. Marshall explains why so many talented surfers struggled after their professional careers ended and why he believes kids should learn to love surfing before worrying about sponsors, contests, money, fame, or becoming a surf legend.

They also break down the difference between surfing on the East Coast, the Gulf Coast, California, and Hawaii. Is Florida too comfortable for professional surfers? Do fishing, Southern food, small-wave contests, local fame, and comfortable hometowns stop East Coast surfers from chasing their full potential? Why does Hawaii create such a different level of commitment, fear, discipline, and work ethic?

From Kelly Slater rivalry stories and Jamie O’Brien’s Pipeline house to surf industry politics, Hawaiian culture, accidental crime, old-school surf sponsorships, surf contest psychology, brain injury recovery, friendship, family, healing, and rediscovering the aloha spirit, this episode covers every side of surfing.

Featuring:

Kelly Slater
Marshall Alberga
Sterling Spencer
Cousin Ryan
Jamie O’Brien
Nathan Florence
CJ Hobgood
Damien Hobgood
Shay Lopez
Makua Rothman
Andy Irons
Sunny Garcia
Pete Mendia
Oliver Kurtz
Evan Geiselman
Freddy Patacchia
Derek Ho
North Shore surfing
Pipeline surfing
Cocoa Beach surfing
Florida surf culture
East Coast surfing
Professional surfing
Surf industry stories
Surf podcast comedy

Let us know in the comments: Do you believe Marshall and Kelly Slater are really Eskimo brothers? Was beating Kelly Slater the greatest moment of Marshall’s competitive surfing career? And which professional surfer story should we investigate next?

Show Marshall some love in the comments, subscribe to Pinch My Salt, tickle the like button, and help us reach 100,000 subscribers.

You know the rules.

#KellySlater #Surfing #JamieOBrien #Pipeline #NorthShore #SurfPodcast #PinchMySalt

Is the World Surf League actually for sale… and if so, who in the world is buying it?

On this episode of Pinch My Salt, Sterling Spencer and Cousin Ryan dive into the possible sale of the WSL, the future of professional surfing, and whether competitive surfing lost its core audience when the ASP became the World Surf League. Could ESPN buy the WSL? Could wave pools, YouTube surf content, or a UFC-style reality show save pro surfing? Or is the surf contest world too niche, too expensive, and too disconnected from real surf culture?

We talk WSL business rumors, surf industry drama, why nobody watches contests live anymore, Kelly Slater, Jack Johnson, Tom Curren dream trips, core lords, surf skating, Hawaiian surf culture, surf addiction, and why surfing might be the most magical and destructive sport on earth.

If you love surfing, surf comedy, surf podcasts, WSL drama, pro surfing history, wave pools, surf culture debates, and two Florida surf cousins trying to figure out who ruined the tour… this episode is for you.

Drop a comment: Who should buy the WSL?

#WorldSurfLeague #WSL #Surfing #SurfPodcast #PinchMySalt #ProSurfing #SurfCulture #KellySlater #SurfComedy #WavePools #ASP #ESPN #SurfIndustry #SurfContest #CoreSurfing #SurfDrama #SurfNews #SterlingSpencer #CousinRyan #SurfYouTube

Tom Carroll joins Pinch My Salt to talk about one of the biggest shifts happening in surfing right now: wave pools, the future of surf contests, the WSL, and whether competitive surfing is about to change forever. In this episode, Sterling Spencer and Cousin Ryan dive into wave pool surfing, the Stab air contest, Huey Vaughn’s insane aerial progression, the WSL’s New Zealand/Raglan event struggles, flat surf contests, modern surf judging, the future of surf competitions, and why wave pools might become the next major stage for professional surfing.
Tom Carroll, two-time world champion and one of surfing’s most respected legends, drops in to talk about winning the first professional wave pool contest in Allentown, Pennsylvania in 1985, beating Derek Ho, and what that strange moment in surf history says about where surfing is headed now. TC breaks down the energy of wave pools, the pressure of performing in front of a close crowd, Kelly Slater’s wave pool, Surf Ranch, the dream of pressing a button for perfect waves, and whether surfers still have the patience to wait on the ocean.
The boys also get into Sterling turning 40, surf legacy, getting older, pro surfers not mattering, Jack Johnson allegedly cussing, John John Florence’s fake music career, Walton Goggins aura, Kimana’s big-man power surfing, soft top chaos, public breastfeeding disasters, seaweed trauma, and the possibility of a future wave pool tour with DJs, celebrities, pool parties, and actual entertainment.
Is the ocean tour in trouble? Are wave pools the future of surfing? Can the WSL survive flat contests? Is Tom Carroll secretly the first wave pool champion ever?
You know the rules. Drop in, comment, like, subscribe, and pinch that salty button.
Featuring:
Tom Carroll
Sterling Spencer
Cousin Ryan
Pinch My Salt
Topics in this episode:
Tom Carroll interview
Wave pool surfing
Future of surfing
WSL surf contests
Stab air contest
Huey Vaughn air surfing
Kelly Slater wave pool
Surf Ranch
Allentown Pennsylvania wave pool contest
First professional wave pool contest
Derek Ho
Raglan New Zealand surf contest
Flat surf contests
Surf judging
Dream Tour
Professional surfing
Sterling Spencer birthday
Surf comedy podcast
#TomCarroll #Surfing #WavePools #FutureOfSurfing #WSL #SurfContest #SurfPodcast #PinchMySalt #SterlingSpencer #CousinRyan #KellySlater #SurfRanch #HueyVaughn #StabHigh #SurfComedy #ProfessionalSurfing #SurfIndustry #Raglan #NewZealandSurf #SurfCulture #WorldChampionSurfer #SurfHistory #WavePoolSurfing #SurfingPodcast #YouTubePodcast

Luke Cederman, aka Raglan Surf Report, joins Pinch My Salt for a hilarious surf podcast episode breaking down the WSL New Zealand Pro, the Raglan contest drama, the lack of waves, pro surfing chaos, surf culture, World Surf League commentary, CT surfers, Gabriel Medina, Filipe Toledo, Jack Robinson, Kelly Slater, twin fins, surf industry rumors, and why this New Zealand event felt like one of the weirdest WSL contests ever. Sterling Spencer and Cousin Ryan call Luke live from Raglan to get the inside scoop on what was really happening behind the scenes at the contest, from boring heats and bad conditions to pro surfer energy, local New Zealand surf culture, WSL event vibes, and whether the whole thing was a huge fail or just classic surfing chaos.

In this episode of the Pinch My Salt Podcast, Sterling Spencer and Ryan Spencer roast, react, and break down the biggest surf clips of the week, including the WSL quietly selling its stake in the Kelly Slater Surf Ranch, the future of wave pools, Filipe Toledo riding a twin fin in competition, Kelly Slater’s old-school Gold Coast surfing, Tom Curren’s legendary style, Dane Kealoha footage, shark chase clips, garage surf training, skimboarding madness, pro surfers becoming real estate agents, and the eternal question: is modern competitive surfing actually fun to watch?

Luke Cederman brings the perfect Raglan chaos to the show as the guys ask what the WSL New Zealand event was really like from inside the scene. Was the contest boring? Were the waves bad? Were the pros partying? Was Gabriel Medina actually staying in a shed? And is Raglan Surf Report officially the mayor of New Zealand surf comedy?

This episode is full surf comedy, WSL roasting, pro surfing stories, New Zealand surf scene madness, surf industry talk, Kelly Slater jokes, Jack Johnson aftermath, Tom Curren worship, twin fin propaganda, and classic Pinch My Salt nonsense.

Featuring:
Luke Cederman / Raglan Surf Report
Sterling Spencer
Cousin Ryan
Pinch My Salt Podcast

Drop a comment, hit the like button, and tell us: was the WSL New Zealand Pro a huge fail, or did Raglan just get robbed by the forecast?

#PinchMySalt #LukeCederman #RaglanSurfReport #WSL #WorldSurfLeague #Raglan #NewZealandPro #SurfPodcast #SurfComedy #SterlingSpencer #CousinRyan #SurfCulture #ProSurfing #KellySlater #FilipeToledo #GabrielMedina #JackRobinson #TomCurren #DaneKealoha #TwinFin #SurfRanch #SurfIndustry #SurfClips #SurfingPodcast #RaglanSurf #NewZealandSurfing

Jack Johnson joins Pinch My Salt for a hilarious, deep, and surprisingly surf-core conversation about Kelly Slater, The Surfers band, Tom Curren, Rob Machado, Peter King, North Shore surf culture, Banana Pancakes, Thicker Than Water, Loose Change, Pipeline, Backdoor, Tamayo Perry, surf films, Hawaiian music, and the wild story of how Jack Johnson may have accidentally been left out of Kelly Slater’s surf supergroup.

In this episode, Sterling Spencer and Cousin Ryan sit down with Jack Johnson to talk about his early days as a surfer, filmmaker, musician, and North Shore kid before he became one of the most recognizable singer-songwriters in the world. Jack tells the story of playing bass in the original version of The Surfers with Kelly Slater singing, Tom Curren on drums, Rob Machado and Peter King on guitar, and how somehow he and Curren never got the call when the record happened.

The boys also get into Banana Pancakes, Jack’s surf movie roots, getting roasted by Saturday Night Live, refusing to wear a fedora, surfing with Kelly Slater, getting humbled at Pipeline, Hawaiian slack-key guitar, and why Jack Johnson’s music became the nervous-system regulator for an entire generation of surfers.

This is one of the most legendary Pinch My Salt episodes yet — part surf history, part comedy podcast, part therapy session, and part lost chapter of surf music lore.

Featuring: Jack Johnson, Sterling Spencer, Cousin Ryan, Kelly Slater stories, Tom Curren stories, Rob Machado stories, North Shore Hawaii, Pipeline, Backdoor, Thicker Than Water, Loose Change, Banana Pancakes, The Surfers band, Hawaiian music, surf comedy, surf podcast, and classic surf culture.

Drop a comment: Did Kelly Slater accidentally fire Jack Johnson from The Surfers?

Like, subscribe, and join the salty babies / pinchers.

#JackJohnson #KellySlater #PinchMySalt #SterlingSpencer #CousinRyan #SurfPodcast #SurfComedy #TheSurfers #TomCurren #RobMachado #PeterKing #BananaPancakes #NorthShore #Pipeline #Backdoor #SurfCulture #SurfMusic #ThickerThanWater #LooseChange #HawaiiSurf #SurfingPodcast #SurfLegends #TamayoPerry #JackJohnsonMusic #SurferMagazine

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